Army acquisition workforce talent management

Assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology

What is it?

The Army Acquisition Workforce talent management is a strategically focused U.S. Army effort to align recruitment, training, development and retention with the workforce needs and demands of a 21st century Army.

The Army defines talent management as the deliberate and coordinated process of optimizing leader development to improve individual and organizational capability to meet current and future Army requirements. The approximately 42,000 military and civilian professionals within the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) perform a critical mission to cultivate innovation, design the impossible, and provide Soldiers with what they need to be successful.

What are the current and past efforts of the Army?

The Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office, within the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, established a comprehensive and enduring AAW TM strategy to specifically address talent recruitment, identification, development and retention through these programs:

Army Civilian Acquisition Student Loan Repayment Program: an annual program that facilitates the recruitment and retention of highly qualified AAW members with critical acquisition skills

What continued efforts does the Army have planned?

The AAW will continue to assess and improve programs and processes to acquire, train, develop, identify and retain talent. Future efforts include the establishment of an AAW Civilian Human Resources Center of Excellence, an AAW civilian talent leadership development model, which nests with Army leader competencies, and a centralized AAW supervisor and employee on-boarding process.

Why is this important to the Army?

As a senior leader priority, talent management is the key enabler for the AAW to ensure the right person is in the right job at the right time to ensure the Army can thrive and “Win in a Complex World.”